‘Last night of Taps’: Public invited to Glen Rock neighborhood to mark the occasion

Joshua Corney, a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy, plays 'Taps' every night outside his home to honor service members and their families.
Chris Dunn, York Daily Record

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Joshua Corney stands for a portrait outside his Glen Rock home in 2015. Corney, a lieutenant commander, was serving his 18th year in the U.S. Navy and had recently moved his family to Glen Rock, where he grew up. Until recently, Corney had played a recording of "Taps" outside his home every evening just before 8 p.m. in remembrance of military service members.(Photo: Chris Dunn, York Daily Record)Buy Photo

“This is kind of a positive step forward to making it a part of the town,” Corney said in an interview Wednesday. “This is something that we would like to keep as a positive thing, not a negative thing.”

Listen to raw video of "Taps" playing over Glen Rock:

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After the 57-second song finished, scattered applause could be heard from the front lawn of Joshua Corney's property.

Corney, who is a member of the committee working to move “Taps” to the new location and produce a memorial explaining the significance of the song, said he doesn’t know when the speakers will be set up in the park. The committee is still working to determine the appropriate volume and type of speakers.

While he initially said he would wait to lower the volume until the speakers are set up, Corney decided to turn it down sooner because of increased trash talk on Facebook.

“It grew beyond what I ever intended this to be,” he said. “I wanted it to be about our men and women and the sacrifices they made and not trashing people.”

Corney has started a new Facebook group called Glen Rock Taps, which will replace the former Taps in Glen Rock group and be used for informational purposes only to update the community on the progress of the memorial and bringing “Taps” to the park.

“I want to focus on getting this done, not managing people talking trash over Facebook,” Corney said.

Scott Thomason, a neighbor who received death threats after protesting the amplified volume of “Taps” by playing his own loud music at the same time, said it’s about time Corney turned the volume down.

However, he worries the song will still be too loud when Corney plays it for his own personal use since one of the speakers is directly facing his house.

Corney said the volume will be very faint and won't cause any issues.

“I’m cautiously optimistic, I guess,” said Thomason, who had included the Spice Girls among his musical protest selections. “I’m anxious to wrap it up and move onto the next chapter.”

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Motorcyclists parade through Glen Rock to show support for Lt. Commander Joshua Corney and his nightly broadcast of "Taps" shortly before a borough council meeting began Wednesday, July 19, 2017. Lt. Commander Joshua Corney, a former Glen Rock borough council member, has broadcast a recording of "Taps" from his property via a PA system every night for the past two years. After receiving complaints, the borough council found that Corney's broadcast violated a noise ordinance and voted in June to restrict his playing of "Taps" to Sundays and seven "flag holidays." The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania threatened a federal lawsuit, prompting the borough council to postpone taking enforcement action until a council meeting Wednesday, July 19, 2017. Chris Dunn, York Daily Record

Motorcyclists parade through Glen Rock to show support for Lt. Commander Joshua Corney and his nightly broadcast of "Taps" shortly before a borough council meeting began Wednesday, July 19, 2017. Lt. Commander Joshua Corney, a former Glen Rock borough council member, has broadcast a recording of "Taps" from his property via a PA system every night for the past two years. After receiving complaints, the borough council found that Corney's broadcast violated a noise ordinance and voted in June to restrict his playing of "Taps" to Sundays and seven "flag holidays." The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania threatened a federal lawsuit, prompting the borough council to postpone taking enforcement action until a council meeting Wednesday, July 19, 2017. Chris Dunn, York Daily Record

Law enforcement officers check IDs to ensure admission for Glen Rock borough residents at a borough council meeting Wednesday, July 19, 2017. Lt. Commander Joshua Corney, a former Glen Rock borough council member, has broadcast a recording of "Taps" from his property via a PA system every night for the past two years. After receiving complaints, the borough council found that Corney's broadcast violated a noise ordinance and voted in June to restrict his playing of "Taps" to Sundays and seven "flag holidays." The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania threatened a federal lawsuit, prompting the borough council to postpone taking enforcement action until a council meeting Wednesday, July 19, 2017. Chris Dunn, York Daily Record

A Glen Rock resident wears a shirt in support of Lt. Commander Joshua Corney and his nightly broadcast of "Taps" as he and other residents enter the Glen Rock EMS Building for a borough council meeting Wednesday, July 19, 2017. Lt. Commander Joshua Corney, a former Glen Rock borough council member, has broadcast a recording of "Taps" from his property via a PA system every night for the past two years. After receiving complaints, the borough council found that Corney's broadcast violated a noise ordinance and voted in June to restrict his playing of "Taps" to Sundays and seven "flag holidays." The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania threatened a federal lawsuit, prompting the borough council to postpone taking enforcement action until a council meeting Wednesday, July 19, 2017. Chris Dunn, York Daily Record

Lt. Commander Joshua Corney, center, and other Glen Rock residents say the pledge of allegiance to open a borough council meeting Wednesday, July 19, 2017. Lt. Commander Joshua Corney, a former Glen Rock borough council member, has broadcast a recording of "Taps" from his property via a PA system every night for the past two years. After receiving complaints, the borough council found that Corney's broadcast violated a noise ordinance and voted in June to restrict his playing of "Taps" to Sundays and seven "flag holidays." The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania threatened a federal lawsuit, prompting the borough council to postpone taking enforcement action until a council meeting Wednesday, July 19, 2017. Chris Dunn, York Daily Record

Lt. Commander Joshua Corney listens to opening statements by Glen Rock borough council president Doug Young Wednesday, July 19, 2017. Lt. Commander Joshua Corney, a former Glen Rock borough council member, has broadcast a recording of "Taps" from his property via a PA system every night for the past two years. After receiving complaints, the borough council found that Corney's broadcast violated a noise ordinance and voted in June to restrict his playing of "Taps" to Sundays and seven "flag holidays." The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania threatened a federal lawsuit, prompting the borough council to postpone taking enforcement action until a council meeting Wednesday, July 19, 2017. Chris Dunn, York Daily Record

Glen Rock borough council president Doug Young calls on residents during public comment Wednesday, July 19, 2017. Lt. Commander Joshua Corney, a former Glen Rock borough council member, has broadcast a recording of "Taps" from his property via a PA system every night for the past two years. After receiving complaints, the borough council found that Corney's broadcast violated a noise ordinance and voted in June to restrict his playing of "Taps" to Sundays and seven "flag holidays." The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania threatened a federal lawsuit, prompting the borough council to postpone taking enforcement action until a council meeting Wednesday, July 19, 2017. Chris Dunn, York Daily Record

Ryan Walton, center, gestures as he addresses a crowd of about 60 people who gathered outside Freedom Armory in Springfield Township to show support for a nightly broadcast of "Taps" in Glen Rock Wednesday, July 19, 2017. Lt. Commander Joshua Corney, a former Glen Rock borough council member, has broadcast a recording of "Taps" from his property via a PA system every night for the past two years. After receiving complaints, the borough council found that Corney's broadcast violated a noise ordinance and voted in June to restrict his playing of "Taps" to Sundays and seven "flag holidays." The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania threatened a federal lawsuit, prompting the borough council to postpone taking enforcement action until a council meeting Wednesday, July 19, 2017. Chris Dunn, York Daily Record

Lt. Commander Joshua Corney turns around in his seat to listen to public comments during a Glen Rock borough council meeting Wednesday, July 19, 2017. Lt. Commander Joshua Corney, a former Glen Rock borough council member, has broadcast a recording of "Taps" from his property via a PA system every night for the past two years. After receiving complaints, the borough council found that Corney's broadcast violated a noise ordinance and voted in June to restrict his playing of "Taps" to Sundays and seven "flag holidays." The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania threatened a federal lawsuit, prompting the borough council to postpone taking enforcement action until a council meeting Wednesday, July 19, 2017. Chris Dunn, York Daily Record

Marian Williams, a Glen Rock borough resident for 78 years, greets Lt. Commander Joshua Corney during a break in a borough council meeting Wednesday, July 19, 2017. Lt. Commander Joshua Corney, a former Glen Rock borough council member, has broadcast a recording of "Taps" from his property via a PA system every night for the past two years. After receiving complaints, the borough council found that Corney's broadcast violated a noise ordinance and voted in June to restrict his playing of "Taps" to Sundays and seven "flag holidays." The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania threatened a federal lawsuit, prompting the borough council to postpone taking enforcement action until a council meeting Wednesday, July 19, 2017. Chris Dunn, York Daily Record